Story+1980-12-19+New+York+City,+NY

"It's combat conditions down there!"
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, following 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out'**

´´I remember when I was growing up, I´d see....I used to see my old man get up every morning and go outside into the backyard, go in the car and try to get it started to go to work ....and I remember when I was, I was a kid, I didn´t even know what he did there, you know, I knew he went to some factory and he did something all day long and he came home in a real bad mood, just sat in the kitchen all night, waiting for me come in, you know....just so he could yell at me and....it was hard to understand that like....that the only place he ever got to go when he was young was he joined the army and he went to World War II, when he came home, he got married to my mom and took on the responsibilities of being a father, being a husband real, when he was still a real young man....when we were having....the years I was growing up in the house and when we were having our fights.....I think now that he wasn't, he wasn't that much older than I am right now....but....I can remember, I never remember seeing him, I could never remember him being young like one day in his life, it seemed, it seemed like he was an old man since he was 18 years old and....it was hard to understand when I was that young that....about his hopes and his disappointments....and the things that he wanted and how he didn't get ´em....so that he was working, maybe I could get ´em a little bit, have a little more freedom than he had.....you know....and.....it was something where.... like I can remember we lived, we only lived about 45 miles from this city right here and..... but I can never remember him taking, him coming to New York, ever bringing my mother to New York, it was like, he lived in one of ´em small towns and it´s like....it´s like you get scared to go anyplace, you get scared to do anything....you watch everybody let things pass ´em on by....and I remember when I was growing up, I was sure that was the same thing that was gonna happen to me.....´cause I just didn´t know, know, know....unless somebody comes and opens your eyes a little bit or, or tries to, tries to inspire you in some way, it can be your girlfriend, it can be, it can be anybody, you don´t know what the possibilities are, you don´t know what you can do with yourself....and it wasn´t until I started listening to the radio and I remember I´d hear the Drifters coming across W, it was WMCA, your guys, Top 40-station in New York City....and there was just something in those voices and in those records that said there was more to life than that, than that little town I was living in....and in all those kinds of places....that kind of, that kind of stimulation or inspiration´s hard to come by....and for every one person that seems to, to get out and to make it, there seems to be so many that don´t....you know....so nobody can promise you nothing, you know, all they can say is that.... the good guys don´t always win (chuckles) but they, but they can win.....and that those things are out there, them possibilities are out there for you if you go out and just say hello to somebody or do something....so anyway....you gotta get your own independence day....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, intro to ´Independence Day´**

´´If you´re still wild and innocent, this is for you.....this is for Drew, happy birthday to you ....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, intro to ´Sandy´**

´´There we was....it was me, Clarence....and Steve.....it was the night before Christmas..... and all through the house....not a creature was stirring....not even a mouse.....(?)....we decided we´d go out down to the 7-11 store get some peanut butter and jelly, get some Pop-Tarts....come back home and live it up....little TV...we all made a deal I wouldn't buy them no presents and they wouldn´t buy me no presents, we didn´t have no money....this was back in 19....I don´t even remember....we got in the car, we took off for a ride and we were on this dark backroad in New Jersey....them roads get dark in New Jersey....and all of a sudden we got a flat....so we were trying to decide....who will go out and fix it....well, I don´t think about fixing it because I´m the Boss....that´s fair....and Clarence, he don´t have to go out and fix it because he´s bigger than Steve....Steve goes outside, opens up the trunk, we ain´t got no spare....so we start walking down this road, we walked for two miles, three miles, we´re trying to hitchhike, nobody´d pick us up....in our own hometown !....and all of a sudden, way off in the woods we hear this sound....(´Ho-ho-ho´)(Roy plays a bit of ´Jingle Bells´) and off in the woods we go and man, there´s Santa Claus !....but Santa, Santa, he ain´t happy, he´s sad....´cause he´s sitting there, he´s got Runner busted off the sleigh, got a whole sleigh full of presents and he can´t go no place....so we thought of couple things, first we thought we´d knock out Santa and steal all the presents, no....but we´re not that kind of guys....so we got down and we fixed up his Runner on that sleigh....and he took off into the sky....just as he was going, we just saw the very last blink of his taillights and we seen some stuff fall out of the sack and drift real slow down through the stars, down past the moon, down onto the highway....we all walked out of the woods....and we looked down at the end of the road and we saw some stuff....start to shine way down in the darkness.....and right then, that´s when we decided....we´d start a band.....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, middle of ´Growin´Up´**

´´When you....when you go to school and all the time you´re growing up, they teach you.... they try to teach you about being fair....and try to teach you....about being reasonable....they try to teach you about justice.....and then when you grow up and you get sent out into the world that ain´t fair, that ain´t reasonable and that ain´t too just most of the time....and it´s real scary....and it´s like wherever you are, you´re living on the edge and the only thing that´s gonna....that´s gonna save you maybe is yourself and that person sitting next to you tonight so....you can´t break the ties that bind.....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, intro to ´The Ties That Bind´**

´´Alright....this is uh....this is happy birthday....to, uh, Joyce tonight.....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, intro to ´Drive All Night´**

´´This is for Dan....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, intro to ´Born to Run´**

´´Wait a minute....I can´t do it....I can´t do it....I can´t do it....I can´t do it....no more....I can´t do it....I can´t do it....I can´t do it.....I can´t do it....well, ok....gentlemen, step over here please ....I´m talking to you, Sir....I´m talking to you....Tony, come here, man....hey, meat, come on out here, man....come on....Miami, come on.....hey, Jimmy, come on out here.....(?) come on out the back, come on out here....these are my homeboys, they´re my hometown boys....now, fellas....(?)....do you see something out there, Tony ?...I think....fellas, I think....I think....no, it ain´t Santa, too early for Santa Claus....no, it ain´t no blimp....ain´t no flying saucer....ain´t no bus....I think....I see a train coming on ´round.....”
 * 19.12.80 New York City, NY, middle of ´Detroit Medley´**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//